Chris Jordan

Artist Chris Jordan spoke at Mountainfilm in 2008 about his trenchant series of images titled “Running the Numbers,” which showed the scale of our consumption. He’s back this year to discuss his new work from Midway Island, where he journeyed last fall to further understand the Great Garbage Patch—a gyre in the Pacific Ocean of plastic that’s twice the size of Texas. The plastic looks like food to the albatross on nearby Midway Island, and they collect a panoply of lighters, bottle caps and other items to feed their chicks. The plastic kills the birds who then die on the beach, their bellies full with the detritus of our lives. Chris photographed the birds’ desiccated and exposed corpses as they lay, not touching anything, preserving the destruction. The photos are searing, memorable and essential—words that also describe Chris’ powerful presentation.